What is happening to me??? Gaining and don't know why.

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  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
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    Age 39, female, 5'6", 127 lbs.

    Gained 10 lbs in the last three weeks without changing habits at all.
    Feel weak, sluggish, and sore.
    Weight gain is not water and not muscle...it's fat.
    Caloric intake is around 1200-1300 weekdays and 1100-1200 weekends.
    Desk job, work out 1 hr 5x a week.

    Had BMR professionally tested last year, result was 1349. Hormone levels normal, thyroid levels low end of normal but not sub-clinical. I don't recall what the exact readings were and no longer have access to the site where they were stored.

    From personal experience, I would suggest that you are not eating enough....

    I'm assuming that your total caloric intake is a max of 1300 cals? On exercise days you are netting around 1000 cals at most. Non exercise days, you are still netting below your BMR.

    I made the mistake of under eating years ago too. I'd lose for a while, then stall out, then start GAINING! WTH?? My body held on to every single thing it could for dear life. I was exhausted, angry, moody, my periods started getting irregular, etc. etc.

    I would look up BMR/TDEE on here....there is tons of information, and start eating AT LEAST a NET caloric base of your 1350 BMR. Ramp up your intake by increasing your daily cals by 100 per week until you get there and see how you feel.

    That means on exercise days you should be eating around 1600-1700 cals. I suspect that as your body de-stresses, you will release water, fat, sleep better, and feel 100% better overall.

    Once I did, the weight literally fell off at an average steady pound per week. I was the lowest I'd been in years! Then I quit smoking but that's another story....lol
  • Tedebearduff
    Tedebearduff Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Age 39, female, 5'6", 127 lbs.

    Gained 10 lbs in the last three weeks without changing habits at all.
    Feel weak, sluggish, and sore.
    Weight gain is not water and not muscle...it's fat.
    Caloric intake is around 1200-1300 weekdays and 1100-1200 weekends.
    Desk job, work out 1 hr 5x a week.

    Had BMR professionally tested last year, result was 1349. Hormone levels normal, thyroid levels low end of normal but not sub-clinical. I don't recall what the exact readings were and no longer have access to the site where they were stored.

    LoL How do you know it's fat? It's not possible to gain that much weight in fat in that time frame unless you are eating an obscene amount so hit the breaks there missy.

    Let's rethink everything that you ate and maybe how accurately your tracking it. Are you even tracking everything? Probably something your using or having that you don't realize has a ton of calories.
  • spazette6976
    spazette6976 Posts: 1
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    I would venture to say you are under eating. You have to eat back some of your worked out calories so that you are still consuming at least 1200 a day after deducting your workout, if you are not doing so you are putting your body into starvation mode. You can lose weight this way in the short run, but eventually the stress you are putting on your body is going to catch up.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    The tiredness is most likely from not eating a lot of calories while being active. A person working out 5 hours a week, who has very little body fat, since you were borderline underweight, needs more calories. How long have you been suppressing calories? It's possible your bodies metabolic rate has adapted and started burning a lot less calories.
  • aliakynes
    aliakynes Posts: 352 Member
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    Go to Planned Parenthood. I know you're not pregnant but it looks like a hormonal thing and you can get blood work there. Fees are on a sliding scale based on income so you might be able to get everything for free.

    P.S. I also agree that you're not eating enough which could be attributing to your hormonal imbalance. So see a doctor, eat more, preferably both ASAP.
  • bfergusonii
    bfergusonii Posts: 208 Member
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    The math does not work out here.

    10lbs x 3500 cal/lb = 35,000 cals

    1300 cal/day x 21 days = 27,300 cal (in 21 days)

    It does not seem possible to gain 10 pounds of fat in 21 days even assuming that your BMR was 0.
  • DannPM31
    DannPM31 Posts: 32
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    Age 39, female, 5'6", 127 lbs.

    Gained 10 lbs in the last three weeks without changing habits at all.
    Feel weak, sluggish, and sore.
    Weight gain is not water and not muscle...it's fat.
    Caloric intake is around 1200-1300 weekdays and 1100-1200 weekends.
    Desk job, work out 1 hr 5x a week.

    Had BMR professionally tested last year, result was 1349. Hormone levels normal, thyroid levels low end of normal but not sub-clinical. I don't recall what the exact readings were and no longer have access to the site where they were stored.


    It is water weight.

    You’d need about 35,000 extra calories in those three weeks to put on 10 lbs of stored fat.

    That’s an extra 1,667 calories a day if you never got out of bed for those three weeks.

    You’re eating at least 300 less than that on your highest days.

    How is your body generating an extra 300 calories a day from itself? Photosynthesis? And what energy is being used to support life while all this is happening?

    Hormones, electrolyte balance, glycogen stores, etc. there are a lot of reasons why you may be retaining water.
  • bigdgeek
    bigdgeek Posts: 88
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    The tiredness is most likely from not eating a lot of calories while being active. A person working out 5 hours a week, who has very little body fat, since you were borderline underweight, needs more calories. How long have you been suppressing calories? It's possible your bodies metabolic rate has adapted and started burning a lot less calories.

    Looking over my food diary, probably for several years.

    In response to some of the others: It has to be fat, because my clothes are tighter.

    I also changed my scale's batteries a couple of months ago. Those batteries are usually good for 9-12 months.

    I have a food scale and weigh everything.

    ED may be a possibility, but I don't have the means to get any kind of treatment. I just need to know what to do. I'm OK with the number on the scale but I am NOT happy with how I feel and look.
  • jrodri0105
    jrodri0105 Posts: 91 Member
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    it is not possible to gain 10 lbs of fat in 3 wks
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    The tiredness is most likely from not eating a lot of calories while being active. A person working out 5 hours a week, who has very little body fat, since you were borderline underweight, needs more calories. How long have you been suppressing calories? It's possible your bodies metabolic rate has adapted and started burning a lot less calories.

    Looking over my food diary, probably for several years.

    In response to some of the others: It has to be fat, because my clothes are tighter.

    I also changed my scale's batteries a couple of months ago. Those batteries are usually good for 9-12 months.

    I have a food scale and weigh everything.

    ED may be a possibility, but I don't have the means to get any kind of treatment. I just need to know what to do. I'm OK with the number on the scale but I am NOT happy with how I feel and look.

    The consistent message that we have been telling you is to eat more calories, do some weight training and cardio and start tracking calories. But honestly, there are free hotline for those with ED's so I would start there:

    http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources
  • ThatLadyFromMN
    ThatLadyFromMN Posts: 301 Member
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    .. firstly maybe pee on a pregnancy stick... just in case.

    Hello? She said she hasn't had sex in 12 months. She can't be pregnant...unless it's an immaculate conception.

    That's right, I forgot that part... well... 12 months... that's unfortunate... IDEA: Go get some (or as much as you can handle) and there goes that 10 lbs.! Genius I know.
  • Soy_K
    Soy_K Posts: 246 Member
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    there's something about the desk job, i swear. I don't know exactly what it is - the stress, the sitting all day, the combination of the above...but I know that I can be eating exactly the same and be on vacation and lose weight for no reason. My friend recently suggested to go see a homeopath about adrenal stress fatigue and get my thyroid checked - bc I'm also always* cold, have trouble sleeping, and am often tired. I haven't gone yet (duh no time bc I"m stressed out and working too much!) but she swears that the treatment has made a difference for her. worth a try anyway..
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
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    Any chance you've started a new medication? Like a sleeping med or anti-depressant? You don't mention if you drink alcohol or use drugs either.

    Also, it is probably mostly water weight, and that would make your clothes feel tight as well as gaining fat does.

    I would get to a doctor some how, some way because I think you need to have all of these things checked asap:

    thyroid (all thyroid hormones)
    free estradiol
    free testosterone
    FSH
    SHBG
    full blood work up for cholesterol, triglycerides, sodium, potassium, etc. and to check for signs of infection
    liver functions
    kidney functions

    And, get someone to do at least an EKG to check heart rythm. Some issues with the heart can cause very rapid weight gain (edema/water retention), esp. if you have a high sodium diet and don't drink enough water.

    And if you do think you may have an eating disorder, please seek professional help immediately.
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
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    My friend recently suggested to go see a homeopath about adrenal stress fatigue and get my thyroid checked - bc I'm also always* cold, have trouble sleeping, and am often tired. I haven't gone yet (duh no time bc I"m stressed out and working too much!) but she swears that the treatment has made a difference for her. worth a try anyway..

    All of those symptons can be because of Thyroid? I have the same problem. Cold all the time I assumed was from blood pressure meds - trouble sleeping - I can FALL asleep but not STAY asleep, and therefore am always tired.

    I guess maybe I should ask my GP to check my thyroid next time. My mom has issues with hers, as do several aunts on my dad's side. Are there specific tests to ask for? I am only trying to lose 28 lbs total, but cant get past 7lbs lost...
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    Do you FEEL like you've gained that much weight? Are your clothes tighter?
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Just because your clothes are tighter doesn't mean it's fat. I gain water weight around my period. My jeans get tight and uncomfortable. I didn't gain fat - I'm just swollen and bloated from the extra water.
  • supermodelchic
    supermodelchic Posts: 550 Member
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    Early menopause maybe?? Still not normal to gain that much so fast.
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,082 Member
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    If it is indeed fat then it is simple. You ate 1600 calories more then your TDEE every day for those 3 weeks.

    If you didn't do that then it's not fat.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    It could be she's in perimenopause. I began perimenopause around age 37, having heavy periods, more than one period a month, or no period at all. I completely stopped my periods at age 43. Perimenopause causes hormone fluctuations that could produce water weight gain. I'd say go get some blood work done.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
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    No one can help with a closed diary. If you want help we need to see your diary!!!

    Best of luck!!!

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